Chapter Two

"Hey, Lil! Hi, Mary! You guys ready for the big break?" Severus asked. It was the end of the term, and Lily and Severus were back to being close friends again. Severus stopped hanging around with Avery and Mulciber. He never called anyone a "Mudblood" since that afternoon with Potter and his stupid friends.

"Lily, he's changed," Marry whispered in her ear.

Lily only nodded and smiled as they got closer to Severus. He picked her up and gave her a huge hug. Marry was just smiling at her best friend and her new friend. Who would have known that Slytherins and Gryffindor would be such great friends?

"Shall we get a compartment together than?" Lilly asked.

"I can't. I am meeting Renold, remember?" responded Mary.

"Oh that's right. You have fun. Write me tons this summer, okay?"

"I will!" and she was off with a quick, "See you, Lily, bye Severus," over her shoulder.

"Renold, he's the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, right?" Severus asked.

"Yeah. Why do you ask? Does Sevy got a crushy?" teased Lily.

"Not on Mary. I'm happy for her."

"Wait. Does that mean you do like someone?" Lily asked. Severus tried to hide his smile. "Ok, you have to tell me! I mean it, Sev!"

"No."

"Oh, come on! Who's the lucky girl?"

"No. You will laugh at me."

"No I won't, Sev. You know me better than that."

"I'm not ready yet, Lil. I promise I will tell you before the end of the summer, okay?" said Severus.

"Fine. Just make sure you tell me," said Lily. "She has to be good enough for you, and who to judge better than your best friend?"

Severus smiled at Lily. He had to come up with the courage to tell Lily before the summer was over. But how? There was no way he was going to go to his father for help. Not after his father had beaten him and his mother for many years. But he was sixteen, now. His father had stopped when he realized that Severus could easily slip away from him. Maybe his mother could help him. No, she wasn't too fond of Lily in the first place. She would probably just kick him out when he got there anyway.

"So, Sev," Lily broke through his thoughts as they were speeding towards London. "Are you going to hitch a ride with me and my family like always?"

"I suppose I will ride with you," said Severus. "I am assuming that they will be expecting me, anyway."

"Yeah, seeing as you have been getting rides from my parents to and from London for years, I am sure they saved you a seat." Lily smiled.

At that instant, someone, whom Severus hoped would leave them be, opened the door. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew were standing in the door way.

"Hello there, Snivellus," said Black.

"Hi, Evans," Potter said to Lily. "Why don't you leave the muggle hater and come and join us?"

"James," whispered Lupin. "Let's just leave them alone."

"No way, Moony! I think we should have some fun with Snively before we don't get to see him for a few months!"

"I agree with Padfoot!"

"You touch him and I will curse you into the toe rag that you are, Potter," said Lily in a deadly whisper. Severus smiled.

"Oh, ho! Some one's a little feisty! I like that in a girl, Evens," Potter said with a smile.

"Keep dreaming, Potter," said Lily. "The day I decide to date you will be the day that I will join You-Know-Who!"

The four boys gasped at Lily's statement. "It's him, isn't it? He's got you wanting to join the Death Eaters, hasn't he?" whispered Potter.

"Yeah, right. We're planning on joining the Order of the Phoenix when we leave Hogwarts," responded Severus.

"Like they would let a git like you join?" said Black. "You who calls muggle-borns "Mudbloods"? I doubt that they would even let you shine their shoes!"

"Sirius! Just leave it," said Lupin.

"Leave, now," said Lily. Her wand was out and she was pointing it at Potter.

"Fine. This isn't over, Snivellus!" yelled Potter as he and his gang left.

Severus could hear them laughing all the way into the next car. "What am I thinking? They're right. The Order would never take me in. I'm a Slytherin." Severus slumped back in his seat, staring at the floor.

"Don't you dare listen to what those baboons say. We are going to do great things for the Order, Sev," Lily said to the back of his head. She lifted his face and cradled them in her hands. "Look at me, Sev. Have I ever broken a promise to you?"

"No."

"Well, I promise that everything will work out. Okay?"

Severus smiled. Lily's hands felt warm and nice on his face. "Okay."

Severus and Lily talked about how awesome fighting the Death Eaters was going to be once they had finished their education and joined the Order for the rest of the ride to London.